Forget Crow's Feet--Bunny Lines Are the New Enemy

While certainly cuter-sounding than crow’s feet, the other wrinkle named after an animal is no less troubling: bunny lines. You may not be familiar with their name, but these tiny creases around the nose are actually pretty common.

Keep reading to find out what exactly bunny lines are and what you can do about them!

First and foremost, what are bunny lines? New York City dermatologist and national medical director of AOB Med Spa Dr. Jody Levine says bunny lines are small, slightly diagonal wrinkles on both sides of the nose, right below the bridge. Not sure if you have them? Try this little test: Scrunch up your nose—see those lines down your nose? Now relax your face. Did those little wrinkles stick around or disappear? If you can see them, those are bunny lines.

As with all expression lines, these wrinkles are typically caused by repeated facial movements in the area, like wrinkling your nose. “Certain people are more prone to getting bunny lines based on the way that they make their facial expressions,” Dr. Levine says. “Some people crinkle up their nose when they laugh. Those people have very strong bunny lines. Other people never crinkle their nose, so they do not get bunny lines.” But there’s another way to develop these lines; Dr. Levine says they can also show up as a result of too much Botox between your eyebrows. So beware when you’re working on your credit card swipe—if you start to see your nasal muscles overcompensating, cool it on the between-the-brows injections.

“The best way to treat bunny lines is to use just a bit of Botox on each side of the nose to smooth these wrinkles,” Dr. Levine says. You’ll see results right away, which will continue to improve over the next few days and typically last three to four months. “The idea is to weaken or paralyze the muscles which bunch the skin to make the bunny line wrinkles,” says Dr. Levine.

How do you prevent them before they appear? All wrinkles are a natural part of the aging process, so it can be difficult to prevent them entirely (the truth hurts sometimes). But a good anti-aging skincare regimen is always beneficial, and just knowing what you’re up against can make a world of difference. If you’re a nose-crinkler and you know it, you can be conscious of your repeated facial expressions and try to avoid scrunching your nose as much as possible. “Additionally, you can receive preventative Botox injections in the area to relax the muscles and limit repeated expressions,” Dr. Levine says.

Have you heard of bunny lines? Tell us if you’ve spotted any on your nose below!